FedEx CEO Wins Howard Hughes Award

Fred Smith, chairman, president and CEO of FedEx Corporation, was presented with the Howard Hughes Memorial Award by the Aero Club of Southern California.

The annual award, which Smith has received in Los Angeles, recognizes distinguished leaders who have made important contributions to aviation and space technology advancement.

Nissen Davis, president of the Aero Club, spoke proudly of Fred Smith:

"After an extensive review by the award committee, which includes 14 past honorees, we concluded that Fred Smith best represents sustained aviation excellence.  He joins an exclusive roster of aviation and space pioneers like Jack Northrop, Jimmy Doolittle, Simon Ramo, Neil Armstrong, Bob Hoover and Chuck Yeager," declared Davis.

The 32nd recipient of the Howard Hughes Award, Frederick W. Smith heads a $35-billion global operation and directs FedEx companies in 220 countries, with 664 aircraft, 81,000 vehicles and 281,000 team members.

Fred Smith, a Yale economics graduate, has been friends with George W. Bush and John Kerry since the 1960s.  A veteran of Vietnam, Captain Smith received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts.

Since founding FedEx in the early 1970s, billionaire Smith has promoted regulatory reform, free trade, 'open skies' agreements for aviation, and he has been a strong advocate for vehicle energy-efficiency standards and a U.S. national energy policy.

Smith later purchased two other dynamic California companies --- the air cargo transport company Flying Tiger Line of Los Angeles in 1989, and the office services company Kinko's of Ventura in 2004 --- both very profitable acquisitions.

In the political arena, Fred Smith was the national co-chair of the McCain-Palin 2008 presidential campaign.

Smith has enjoyed much success and many accolades during his lifetime.

Now, in March 2011, he has been bestowed with a very distinguished honor in the memory of another billionaire aviation enthusiast.

A commemorative sculpture bearing Frederick W. Smith's name will remain on display, permanently, at the Flight Path Museum at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

During the banquet, the Aero Club of Southern California honored Fred Smith, 66, with the coveted solid silver medallion.

The most distinguished award which Smith received features the image of the legendary Howard Hughes, along with several accomplishment depictions.

The Aero Club of Southern California, a nonprofit charitable organization, was founded in 1925 to increase public awareness of the uses of aviation.

The club advances aviation and aerospace, honors outstanding contributors to both fields, and supports speaker and scholarship programs.

Visit the official Aero Club of Southern California website and jump into the open skies in the spirit of an aviation legend.